George Bernard Shaw once said that "England and America are two countries divided by a common language". The same is sometimes true of IT managers and their non-technical colleagues. Here are ten things you need to know about the world of IT. You may not be able to speak fluent geek but it helps to understand a bit about IT’s culture and concerns.

1. Support is a bore for them too. Technical support is the public face of most IT departments but it isn’t their most important contribution to the business just as getting your MOT isn’t the most important thing about owning a car.
2. Keeping the lights on. IT people don’t like it when things stop working. Keeping everything running is vital. Just as humans have to breathe and eat before they can do anything else, IT departments have to provide support and keep the lights on before they can innovate or support the business. It’s mundane but necessary.
3. Changing the engines on an airplane in mid-flight. The obligation to provide support and keep the lights on means that implementing changes and innovation is risky. It’s not inertia; they just don’t want to fix something that ain’t broken.
4. Inventories are difficult. While important, keeping track of hardware, software licences and users is time-consuming and surprisingly difficult. For example, how do you count laptops that are used by people who never come into the office?
5. Patching. Operating systems keep changing and new viruses keep emerging. This is why IT departments need to keep patching your computer. An out of date computer is a security risk but it is a challenge to make sure that all 5,000 laptops are continuously up to date.
6. Protecting confidential information. Security is another big concern for IT departments. They tend to see users as the weakest link. This is why they try to automate and control as much as possible. Want to know why you have to change your password every month or why you aren’t allowed to install your own software? IT is trying to enforce security policies.
7. Consistency of images and hardware. One of the biggest challenges in IT is managing inconsistent systems and software images. Ideally, IT wants to have a single model of laptop and a single desktop with a single operating system across the entire business. That means that they can solve any problem with one manual and one install disk.
8. It’s about technology. They know technology and they know their job. If you work with IT people, try to understand the technical issues they deal with. You don’t have to swot up on IT but ask them intelligent questions and understand the challenges they face, just like you would with any business partner.
9. It’s about information. The reverse is true as well. Be logical and clear about what you need. Explain your business requirements. Make sure that they have the information they need to understand them. Ask them what they need from you to complete a project.
10. Business innovation. Most IT managers these days see their job as helping the business succeed. After all, IT touches almost everything we do. The more involved they are in the business decision-making, the better they can help. For example, it is common now for CIOs to be part of the team that deals with mergers and acquisitions.